Act like a man
Be a man
Man up
Men don’t ask for directions
Men don’t use instruction manuals
From the start, little boys are taught to be tough. They hear things like “act like a man” or “man up”. And we all know that real men don’t need to ask for directions when they’re driving. How many times have you heard that when men are putting something together that the first thing they do is throw away the directions? How does that work out for them? There are usually a few extra screws left over when they are done, right? As a society, we teach men that asking for help or directions is a sign of weakness. If you want something done, do it yourself.
Recovery is different though, we have to change our entire mindset regarding what we have learned throughout our lives about asking for help. So, it only makes sense that going against everything we are taught would definitely be the most challenging aspect of the recovery process. Those who have been successful in recovery have discussed the key, the key to success is asking for help.
Consider what many would consider the “manliest” job in the world, a military soldier. One of the most important things a soldier is taught is to never surrender. However, those in the recovery community know that surrendering to the fact that you are an addict is to win your first battle against your addiction. Let’s take the military for example, it’s not just one soldier fighting a war on their own. It’s an entire army working together to try and reach a common goal. When a group of soldiers gets in trouble what’s the first thing they do? Radio for backup! It’s kind of interesting that the “manliest” people in the world teach you to never give up, but when you are in trouble, they teach you to ask for help. If it’s good enough for the military, then it’s good enough for tough guys seeking recovery! Real men ask for help!
